Shit.
“I’ll be back as fast as I can. This shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
“Be safe.” She smiled and snuggled into her pillow.
I straightened and took in the sight. Harper Russo in our bed, naked, shiny blonde hair fanned over the pillow, her features soft and relaxed, and a strikingly beautiful smile on her puffy well-kissed lips.
Stunning.
Perfect.
Mine.
Seeing her like this, I knew that every moment that had led to this was worth it.
“I love you,” I blurted out, without thinking of the consequences.
Scratch that. I knew the consequences. At that moment, I couldn’t have cared less about the repercussions. I couldn’t hold the words back any longer. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.
“You do?” she asked, pulling herself up on an elbow.
“I do. I love you, Harper.”
If I’d thought Harper lying in my bed smiling up at me was perfect—I was wrong. Because Harper in my bed up on an elbow smiling at me so wide after I’d told her I loved her, I thought my heart was going to explode. That was fucking perfect.
“I love you, too, Mac.”
A stillness washed over me. Tranquility I had never known rooted deep down in a place that had always been cynical and in constant unrest. I was amazed how saying three words out loud could change everything.
I wanted to stand here all night and savor the moment we’d shared, but the sooner I left, the sooner I’d be back.
“I wish I could crawl in bed and show you how much those words mean to me. Undoubtedly, I’ll fail, because there’s no way I could ever repay what you just gave me. It shits me to say this, but I have to go take this meeting. When I get back, I’m gonna spend the rest of the night trying.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Be safe and hurry home.”
Fuck, but that felt good.
I walked into Nonna Maria’s and much like the first time my stomach knotted. Nico and his man were sitting in the same place in the back of the empty restaurant.
I moved to the table and took a seat across from them.
“I trust your woman is well.” Nico broke the silence and I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t want him thinking about Harper. “I was warned you keep a loose leash on your temper. By the daggers you are shooting my way, it seems I was well informed.”
“You were,” I confirmed.
“Frankie has been taken care of.”
I remained quiet. It seemed he wanted to repeat what he’d already told me over the phone.
“The hit has been called off. I’ve also put the word out that Harper Russo is under my protection.”
“The fuck?” I bit out, and Branson sat up straight, cutting his stare to me. “That was not part of the deal.”
Nico’s hand went to Branson’s shoulder, giving him a hard slap before the big man settled back into his chair.
“It is a necessary precaution. There are some in New York that are not happy at her reprieve. Whatever her reasons, however as much you might agree with her, she broke the code of silence. The Omertá. There are some that think just because the Russo family no longer exists that she still should pay for her crimes. We live in a world that demands certain loyalties. Truth be told, Frankie Russo was a bottom feeder piece of shit. He ran his family like he ran his pizzeria. He had no foresight, no finesse, and he was morally bankrupt.”
“And you?” I cut him off. “Are you morally bankrupt?”
Nico threw his head back and busted out laughing.
“Perhaps. Most people would say I am. However, I don’t demand loyalty. I earn it.” Nico leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Make no mistake, if you fuck with me I’m a cold-blooded vindictive son-of-a-bitch. But I reward faithfulness. I also honor my word. I gave you my word I would take care of Harper’s problem. I’ve done just that, and I will continue to do so until I feel like it’s no longer needed.”
“And the price?”
There was no sense sugar-coating the true intent of this meeting. We weren’t two friends knocking back a few drinks and shooting the shit. Nico wanted to lay out the terms of payment.
“Less than you owe me.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“A simple turn of your head. I’m entertaining a young woman. Her father isn’t happy she is in my company. However, she will remain in my care until certain debts are paid.”
Fuck.
“Nicole Brown.”
Goddamn it all to hell.
“Let’s keep names out of it,” he said.
Mother fucker. I didn’t need him to confirm her name. Nico Tuscani had kidnapped the police chief’s daughter.
“Fuck.”
All three of us remained quiet as I ran through different scenarios. Nico had given me the confirmation I needed that Tom Brown was dirty. And Nicole was going to pay for her father’s crimes. My gut turned at the thought of Nicole suffering the same fate as Harper. Beaten and bloodied.
Of course, I could walk into the station, turn in my shield, admit to hiring Nico to kill Frankie, and turn Nico in before he killed Nicole. I could live with paying for my crimes more than I could live with the knowledge I allowed Nicole to die.
As if sensing my internal struggle, he said, “She is unharmed and will remain that way. I’m not a fucking animal. I have no interest in hurting some innocent woman just because her father is a lying sack of shit.”
“I’m the lead investigator on the case. Brown handed me the case personally. I assume because he knows my ties to Logan Reid and Blaze.”
“That may be true. Brown might be a bastard, but he’s a smart one. I’m sure he thinks at the end of this he can buy you off. Make no mistake, Brown knows where his daughter is.”
“Be that as it may, I have to investigate her disappearance. If I don’t, red flags will be thrown up all over the place.”
“Due diligence, I get it. Investigate. I’m not telling you not to look into her disappearance. All I am asking is you look the other way if anything points in my direction. Better yet, you should look into why it’s pointing at me. You might find all the answers you’re looking for. The politician fucks like to call me a criminal. They’re not wrong, but at least I don’t lie about who I am. I don’t wait until someone’s back is turned so I can sink my knife in their back. I do that shit face-to-face. I don’t pretend to be a friend.”
My jaw ached from clenching my teeth so hard. This was so fucked. Reid was right—Nico owned me. I wasn’t sure if I could live with this mark on my soul. The way he said friend gave me pause. Was he talking about Blaze? I didn’t like the insinuation, but I was unwilling to ask for clarification. Not that I thought Nico would tell me the truth, anyway.
“And your end game? Where does the girl end up?”
“That’s up to her father.”
Harper. This was for Harper, I reminded myself.
It did nothing to ease the knot.
16
knitting
Harper
“It’s too soon.”
“No, it’s not. I’m bored sitting at home. You’re at work all day. I’ve unpacked what I’m keeping and trashed everything else,” I reminded Mac.
I had gone through the boxes that Mac had packed from the guesthouse and put away everything I wanted. My heart was brimming with excitement when I hung my clothes up in Mac’s big walk-in closet and placed the few books I owned next to his on his built-in bookshelf. It was silly, but for the first time in years, I was unpacking. Truly and really settling in. I wasn’t worried about having to throw what I needed in a backpack and take off at a moment’s notice. I had even gone to the mall and bought towels. Big, fluffy, extra-large, plush white towels and replaced Mac’s ratty ones in his bathroom. I also got a soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, and bath mats. I was so happy to be doing something as normal as shopping with a friend I wasn’t fazed when Mac argued with me about spending
money. It wasn’t the amount I had spent that he was mad about; it was the fact that I was using mine. I’d refused to use the credit card he’d left. I also wouldn’t take the cash he tried to give me to pay me back for all the stuff I bought. Now that I wasn’t running, I had money to spend. It wasn’t a lot, but I could afford to buy what I wanted for the house. Undeterred, he’d stood in the doorway of the bathroom with his arms crossed. Stubborn. But then so was I. I’d stood in the bathroom, hands on my hips, mirroring his macho posture, and commenced throwing him attitude.
I wasn’t giving in and to my total amazement, Mac relented.
Sort of.
We’d come to a compromise. I wouldn’t argue or offer to pay the household bills and mortgage and he wouldn’t complain when I bought groceries and stuff for the house. Which was a good thing because he’d yet to see the new comforter and sheets I’d bought for his bed. They’d cost a mint but were well worth it. Pure luxury. In the last few years, I’d bought cheap scratchy bedding, not wanting to waste money on something I knew I’d have to throw away. Now that I was staying and putting down roots, I was going all out.
When Mac had asked me to move in with him, for about two seconds, I thought about telling him no. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea rushing and moving in with him. Then I realized I was done putting my life on hold. I wasn’t going to waste another minute. If Mac wanted me to live with him, why should I say no? Why shouldn’t I have something I wanted? I decided to say fuck it and jump. That’s what I was going to do from now on. Jumping. No more thinking, calculating every risk, my every move, looking over my shoulder, waiting for someone to kill me. Mac had said I was done living that life and I agreed.
I was done.
I wanted Mac. I wanted to live with him. I wanted normal. I desperately wanted the happiness he promised.
I was taking it.
So here I was standing behind the counter at Del Mar’s serving Mac and Reid their morning coffee, being normal. Mac, for his part, had tried to talk me out of going back to work. He had tried convincing me into the early morning hours that I didn’t need to work. He used every tool in his extensive arsenal to exhaust me so I’d call Suzie and tell her I wasn’t coming in. While I enjoyed every second of his idea of sexual persuasion and only got two hours of sleep, I still drug my ass out of bed this morning.
“So get a hobby. Maybe learn how to knit or better yet, summer’s coming, you can work in the yard,” Mac suggested.
“You didn’t just say that.” I leaned over the counter, coming closer to Mac. “Please tell me you didn’t just tell me to start knitting.”
“Oh, boy.” This came from Reid.
“Okay. Maybe not knitting. But there’s plenty of stuff you can do around the house.”
“Oh, shit.” That was from Ava who had now joined the fray.
“So this is how it’s going to be? You want a house bunny to stay at home and cook and clean for you? Is that it, Mac?”
If I’d been smart, I would’ve stopped after house bunny when his eyes narrowed on me. Mac was pissed. Well, I was, too. I wasn’t going to sit around the house and take advantage of Mac.
“Harper,” Mac warned.
“Aiden.”
Now would’ve been a really good time to shut my mouth.
“The fact that you’d say I want you to stay home and cook for me is jacked. You’re my woman, not my maid.” Mac stopped and pushed closer. With me leaning over the counter and him inching forward, we were almost nose to nose. “You have spent years running. Stressed, tired, and scared. Is it too fucking much to want my woman to relax and live easy for a while before she goes back to work? I don’t give a rat’s ass if you stay home and watch afternoon talk shows all day. I don’t care if you stay in bed and read. I really don’t care if you take a bubble bath and eat fucking ice cream all day. What I do care about is that you unwind and rest.”
“Well, damn,” Ava muttered, pulling my attention to her.
I felt like shit for saying something so foolish to Mac. I knew him better than that. He’d never suggested I stay home and be his maid. I hadn’t thought of it that way when I said it.
“Sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, then come here and give me a kiss so my stubborn ass woman can get to work.” I closed the distance and brushed my lips against his. Unfortunately, it was a soft chaste kiss appropriate for the mixed company we were in. When I pulled back, he said, “Please think about only working part-time for a while. I know you’d go crazy sitting around the house for too long. But I really would like you to be able to take some time for yourself.”
“I’ll think about it and talk to Suzie.” I compromised. It was hard not to when Mac’s reasons for me working minimal hours were heartfelt. He’d been open and honest with me; he deserved the same from me.
“Thanks, Aiden.”
“Fuck me. About damn time,” Reid chimed in. “Ava baby, can I get a refill please?”
Ava didn’t answer. Not verbally anyway. She smiled at her husband and threw in a flirty wink as she walked away to grab the coffee pot.
“I have tables to check on.”
I didn’t give Mac a wink, but I did give him what I hoped was a flirtatious smile and went about checking my tables.
The early morning crowd at Del Mar’s was eclectic. Businessmen and women in suits and ties. College students with their laptops open, fingers flying over their keyboards. Police officers and paramedics. You never knew what the morning rush would bring. When Ava opened Del Mar’s after Jacob was killed, the café became a regular spot for San Francisco’s first responders. They’d come out in droves to support the widow of a fallen officer. All these years later, they still came in. Before shift, after shift, or when they got a moment to eat a quick meal between calls. Everyone who came into Del Mar’s understood that the men and women in blue got served first. Not because they were better than anyone else, but they could be called away at a moment’s notice.
“Order up, Laura… I mean… Harper,” Suzie said when I shouldered through the swinging doors separating the dining room from the kitchen.
I couldn’t help it, I laughed, and Suzie frowned. “Sorry, Suz. I don’t care what name you use. I know it’s confusing.”
“I’ve always known you as Laura but I kinda like Harper better. It fits you. It’s just gonna take a little time.”
Suzie looked like she had something else on her mind. Her frown deepened, and she busied herself with arranging plates on a tray.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Bullshit, babe. I’ve worked with you awhile now. Something is wrong. Do you, um, not want me coming back to work?”
Shit. I hadn’t thought that maybe Suzie and her husband Michael wouldn’t want me working here anymore after I told them the truth. Ava was happy I was back at the café, but Ava didn’t own Del Mar’s anymore.
“What? No. I mean, yes. Yes, I want you here working.” She pushed some more plates around and avoided looking at me. “I heard what Mac said. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything, but maybe he’s right. I don’t want to be selfish and put you back on the schedule too soon. You’re my best server and I can use you as many hours as you’re willing to work.”
“You’re not being selfish. I love working here. I’m not going anywhere. I told Mac I’d talk to you about only working part-time for a while. But, Suzie, I don’t want to jam you up. This is a business and you have to staff it. If you need me full-time, I’m ready. I promise.”
She stopped fiddling with her tray and snapped her eyes to mine with a ferocity I didn’t understand.
“No! You take the part-time shift. You and I both have a firsthand understanding of how precious life is. How fast your world can change. You’ve been living a half-life for so long you need to take time and enjoy all the things you lost while you had to hide.”
Suzie did understand. The crazy man, Carl, who had stalked Ava, had beaten Suzie almost to death
in an effort to get to Ava. Thankfully, Reid’s guys had gone to the café after closing to pick up the nightly deposit and they had found Suzie in the nick of time. Unfortunately, when everyone had rushed to Suzie’s aid, Reid had unwittingly fallen into a trap. Carl found Ava and killed Rick, the man that Reid had left to protect her. That night was a tragedy all the way around. Rick died. Suzie was near dead. JJ was scared to death hiding under the bed, listening to his mother scream in fear. And Ava was taken. All the men were beside themselves, and that was putting it mildly. Reid went ballistic, Mac not far behind that, and Michael, Suzie’s husband, had to be locked down at the hospital.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you while you were in the hospital.”
Now was not the time to have this conversation; it was too emotional. But I needed her to know how sorry I was. I couldn’t bring myself to see Suzie beaten and almost dead. It was too close to home.
“Don’t you apologize for that.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “We’ll save that conversation for a bottle of wine and a box of Kleenex.” She turned to pick up her tray. “Part-time it is, Harper.”
With practiced ease, she lifted her tray and balanced it on her palm while she pushed the doors open and disappeared.
Yea. Part-time. That would be perfect. I would have time to do nothing and still keep busy working a few hours a day. And while I wouldn’t admit this to Mac, his yard looked like shit and could use a total overhaul. I had never tended to a garden, yet I was ecstatic at the thought of working in his. Totally normal!
I delivered my food, refilled drinks, and stopped at a table with two haggard looking paramedics. Both were in uniform and looking beat. I wasn’t sure if they were coming off a long overnight shift or just going in. With all the unrest going on in the city, it could’ve gone either way.
Mac turned off the news last night after spitting out a few colorful expletives at the newscaster when she speculated about Chief Brown’s daughter and the police department’s lack of control of the protestors. One had nothing to do with the other, but the newscaster had made sure to throw in a dig where she could. I had never met Nicole Brown and it was sad that a woman was missing but completely irresponsible to report her disappearance the way the news was. Not to mention disrespectful. A little girl had been killed and the public was outraged as we all should’ve been. But the police couldn’t stop the peaceful protest; they had to stand by and wait until it turned ugly. And they didn’t have to wait long, the crowds were becoming more and more dangerous. Protests were turning into riots. Mac was diligently investigating Nicole’s disappearance while his fellow officers tried to protect the public.
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